On Monday, the California Department of Public Health Deputy Director Heidi Steinecker sent an All Facilities Letter notifying nursing homes and long-term care facilities to start allowing visitations regardless of the visitor’s vaccination status and county tier status. The main reason for this change is that nursing home patients and their care providers have all had the opportunity to be vaccinated and are less likely now to contract the coronavirus. The notice outlines a lengthy list of safety protocols that visitors must adhere to including wearing facial coverings, screened for temperature, and asked if they have any symptoms of the coronavirus prior to the visitation.
The change in visitation policy can help alleviate residents’ sense of isolation that can impact their physical, mental, and psychological well-being and quality of life. The All Facilities Letter also approves communal dining and group activities to resume as long as core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention are followed. To read the letter and learn more about this important change, go to: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHCQ/LCP/Pages/AFL-20-22.aspx
